2006-12-21 03:07:50 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
Obviously, the house is not anything's natural habitat, as it's somewhat unnatural that houses even exist. I just don't know where cats would live without houses.
2006-12-21 03:22:00 · update #1
The domestic cat, Felis cattus, is derived from the north African wild cat, Felis sylvestris libycus, which is a sub-species of Felis sylvestris, the European wild cat.
F. sylvestris, as its name implies, is a forest dweller. F.s. libicus, as it's geographic range suggests, is a desert creature. So the domestic cat is descended from a small desert predator and its natural habitat is the desert.
Domestic cats still have traits that adapt them for desert living. One of the most important has to do with the way they maintain their fluid balance. As desert critters their physiology is designed for them get virtually all their moisture from their food. This is why cats that eat canned (or pouched) food often don't drink water at all. They get their water in their food, which has the same water content as freshly killed prey.
The flip side of this is that cats have a very poorly developed thirst drive. This means that even though cats that are fed dry food will drink water, they won't drink enough to compensate for what they don't get in their food. This is why cats that are fed a diet of dry food tend to develop chronic renal failure in their later years. (Before the introduction of dry cat food, chronic renal failure was almost unknown in cats. Now it's so common that many vets think it's a normal part of the aging process!)
This link will take you to a web site about properly feeding a cat, and it will tell you much about the physiological implications of being a desert predator. Even if you're already feeding your cat properly, I'll bet you'll find it interesting.
http://www.catinfo.org
2006-12-21 03:41:11 · answer #1 · answered by Mick 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not sure I understand the question.....
Housecats habitats are inside the house, if you're asking where they live.
2006-12-21 11:11:20 · answer #2 · answered by BVC_asst 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In a dark place in the house, if it's a house cat, and if it's an outdoor cat, somwhere warm
2006-12-21 11:45:29 · answer #3 · answered by ArmyWife 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to watch the Garfield Geographic documentary. It is very educational.
2006-12-21 11:14:40 · answer #4 · answered by Nicky Rae 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
THE HOUSE
2006-12-21 11:15:54 · answer #5 · answered by Jesse 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋